DIY & Crafts

12 Fabulous DIY Photo Booth Ideas for Your Party

by craftmin | December 12, 2017

Make your parties more interesting and more perfect with a diy photo booth – colorful, festive, and party poppin’! There are three essentials to a photo booth – the camera, the backdrop and the people. First, we will take you through a step-by-step guide to setting up a diy photo booth, followed by some trendy ideas to inspire you for your next party.

Setting up Your DIY Photo Booth

Materials you will need:

camera (a point and shoot camera is suggested)

backdrop

tripod (optional)

spotlight (optional)

umbrella studio light (optional)

remote-controlled camera shutter

(1) Set-up the camera

First prepare a camera dedicated only to the photo booth. With the new smartphone technology, a lot of your guests will probably end up using their phones for selfies and own photos, but a photo booth adds something different. A simple point and shoot camera, a tripod and a remote-controlled camera shutter release are things to prepare for a diy photo booth.

(2) Arrange the lights

Next, make sure you have adequate lighting for your photo booth. Although studio lights are optional, provide light sources or brighten up the backdrop unless you are going for mood lighting.

(3) Make the backdrop

The backdrop should fit the theme of your party, serving to enhance the party mood of the guests. If you have a Roaring Twenties party, then the backdrop should reflect that – either go abstract or fully representational.

(4) Prepare props

Another option to level up not only your diy phto booth but also your party is to let the guests have fun with the props. Have fun thinking of props to go with your photo booth and then making them. You could even have a mini chalkboard so the guests can write their own captions within the picture.

(5) Choose a good location

Use an underused corridor, a spacious corner or a pretty nook to set up your diy photo booth. Put your photo booth somewhere you can hang a backdrop but not hamper people who are walking around – it must also not be isolated from the party and the crowd.

(6) Final set-up

Your backdrop has been hung or mounted, you have your camera and the accessories needed for your guests to take pictures without you doing shutter duty. Leave your props where guests can freely use them and return them. You are good to go!

(7) Party time!

DIY Photo Booth Ideas

Choose ideas from glittery to whimsical – magical floating confetti to simply colorful big fringe garlands. Or be inspired to make your own original and zany DIY photo booth creation.

(1) Glam Up with Fringe

This is a really beautiful DIY photo booth as fun to make as it is to have your pictures taken with. Enjoy watching your guests touching over and over those lovely fringes made from crepe paper. Choose bright colors for a really dazzling and cheery background.

(2) This Circle of Mod Fun

A perfect 60s touch for a Mod Party that is as zany and as swinging as the era it is celebrating. For best results, thread is sewn onto colorful cardstock, or just hot glue the thread. Sewing gives a better finish to the circles. An added tip: fishing line or colorless vinyl string will also give the same floaty effect.

What you will need:

Colorful cardstock cut into 1.75 x 11″ strips

Thread or colorless string

Fast drying glue or a glue gun

Clothes pins to help clamp the paper together

Masking tape or peg to attach the threads to the ceiling and floor

How-to: Sew the strips to the thread to make one long thread of paper strips. Remember to vary the colors but keep the distance between the strips the same. I suggest threading the strips close together for a very Austin Powers atmosphere. Vary the sizes by attaching another strip of the same color to form a circle when you glue the ends together. Change the lengths of the new strips you attach.

Tip: Attach the end of the thread to the floor for a swinging effect. If you can’t, attach something so the threads can’t fly away or move too much.

(3) Brilliantly Lovely Bokeh Lights

The effects of bokeh lights in photography is absolutely spectacular. The internet is awash with wallpapers and bokeh light textures that graphic artists have used in their own work. Make your own spectacular bokeh light background with very ordinary materials.

What you will need:

A room with huge windows for lighting and an empty wall

Strands of white lights with white cords – at least three

White sheet for the floor

How-to: Tape your lights to the wall. The trick to getting the bokeh effect is to have the subject stand or sit as far away as possible from the white lights. Next, stand as close as you can to the subject without sacrificing focus. That’s it! You would probably need someone to give directions to your guests in the beginning.

(5) Totally Tinselled

Grab those tinsel garlands for this festive and colorful and “borderline tacky but gloriously magnificent” backdrop that blogger Chelsea prepared for her own Christmas party.

What you need:

Lots of tinsel garlands, dollar stores have them in an armful

Pole or dowel – Chelsea used her shower curtain rod

Thin wire

Twine

How-to: Fold the garlands over your pole and secure them with thin wire. Hang the pole over the area where you plan to have your backdrop. Use twine or any pretty string for this. Enjoy your sparkly and pretty pictures with the tinsel glittering wonderfully.

(7) Golden and shiny

Great for a New Year’s party with the glittery and gleaming gold – here is a golden-sequined DIY photo booth. This backdrop uses 60 mm sequins or look around for something called paillettes – they are the same things. Make a festive air with this gleaming corner for your party. Add some metallic party hats, toot horns and maybe a flute or two of these festive wine glasses. What a perfect way to start the New Year or just celebrate a joyous occasion! Another great idea for a 50th Golden Anniversary party – for couples, for singlehood, and even for a company.

Gold wrapping paper (cheap is okay, it will just cover the foam boards)

Masking tape (won’t harm your walls)

Poster board as guide

Ruler and pencil

How-to: Cover your foam board with the cheap gold wrapping paper. Tape it to the wall where you plan to have your DIY photo booth. Starting from the middle, cover the boards with the sequins so they also catch the light and can flutter up for more light effects. Just make sure the pins are secured and stable.

(8) DIY Photo Booth Beautifully

A very easy DIY photo booth project for your party. Just layer a tinsel curtain over your wall, add some glittery details (stars were used here), and you have your party backdrop that is sure to shine with a festive mood. Add some party props your guests can hold that fit the theme. For this backdrop, choose gold stars, a shiny wand or glittery hats. Add a crown or two. Go all glamour for your party.

(9) All Doilied Up

Doll up with this pretty and intricate doily backdrop for that vintage but happy feel.

What you will need:

Doilies 8″ inch in diameter in at least two colors

Tape – go for masking so you won’t mark the wall

How-to: Mark off the wall area where you plan to have your photo booth. Starting from the bottom, tape the doilies, letting them overlap for a beautiful effect. Alternate the colors of the doilies if you prefer. Why not use white and green for St. Patrick’s Day or maybe your company colors if it’s an office party?

(10) Shower of Flowers

Celebrate spring with a very colorful and bright floral background.

Materials you will need:

Various sheets of colored tissue paper

A pair of scissors

Glue dots or masking tape

How-to: Make accordion folds in your tissue paper then make a rounded cut on one end. Gather the square-ended parts of the paper and make a flower. Glue them together and attach to the wall. Enjoy making the flowers in various colors and sizes.

(11) Streams of Festivities

You can do this two ways: get rolls of crepe paper streamers and tape them onto the wall. Or get the crepe paper in flat rolls and cut out your streamers in varying widths with the same colorful and beautiful effect. Make your party more festive with these DIY party candle holders.